Red Star Line: Difference between revisions
→Pioneer Class
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=== Pioneer Class ===
Red Star needed something to get their cash rolling in again but was more cost effective. After successfully getting a help check from the Tuvarian government of around 1.6 million Tuvanats, the line got back to work on a new class of ships. Similar to the SS Mariner, they wanted to make a double hull, single smokestack, sail backed up, ship but with the idea of passengers being the priority. Up to this point, shipping was all the line did but, somewhat luxurious trips to Arafors and back was becoming more popular in the country. SS Pioneer as she was called was laid down in 1869 and finished construction in 1873. She could hold a solid 850 passengers which was good enough for the line and could carry 250 pounds of passenger cargo. Her Sister Ship, the SS Explorer 2 (named after the SS Explorer from 1839) was laid down in 1869 and finished construction alongside Pioneer. Pioneer entered operating service on June 1, 1876, and its first voyage was on June 6, 1876. The voyage had 763 passengers, and 26 officers. Rough seas had been forecasted in the east Arcturian sea for the past few days, but the line insisted the Pioneer would sail. Captain Leo Harvey (1822-1903) himself also insisted the new ship would be able to survive in harsh conditions. June 6th came and SS Pioneer set sail. The ship as expected came under the might of a large storm cycle moving through the strait. Seasickness became rampant on the ship as many passengers couldn't even stand upright. Many if not all passengers moved into the cramped spaces inside the ship while waves crashed over the railing of the ship. Captain Harvey however believed that the ship could make it through.
==== The Collision of the Pioneer and Onward ====
June 7th came, and the storm system was still lingering in the strait. Another Tuvarian ship from a different shipping line, the SS Onward, was enroute in the opposite direction of the oncoming SS Pioneer. Pioneer's crew, following standard naval procedure, turned right to miss the Onward and prevent a collision. However, the Onward oddly enough turned left which sent it on a head on collision course with the Pioneer. At 10:36 PM, SS Onward rams into the bow from Port and crunched up deep into the side of the ship. The passengers of Pioneer were rocked about on the ship with not many being on the top decks to see what happened. A survivor named Charles Williamson, recalled hearing an '''''"Awful scraping noise."''''' coming from the front of the ship. At 10:37 PM, the Onward came loose of the ship after scraping off the side for only a minute yet, the damage was still immense, and the Pioneer immediately came to a stop so the crew could inspect the damage. The SS Onward was horribly disfigured and the bow was crunched inwards. Seawater immediately came rushing into the front of the Onward through the damaged Bow and the ship would be seen by passengers on Pioneer being rocked up and down violently by the awful waves of the storm. At 10:43 PM, the damage to the hull on Pioneer was discovered. The Onward had cut a nasty gash through 3 of the 5 watertight compartments on the Port Bow. The ship could sustain flooding of the 3 of 5 compartments on either side in perfect conditions however, the Pioneer was in the middle of an awful storm system and buoyancy would be troubled by the hard-hitting waves. Captain Harvey was weary of declaring an emergency since the lifeboats wouldn't s
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